In an interview with 60 Minutes, President Obama said that his ideas were “mainstream” , but that the GOP is against anything he supports.

Why does such a popularly elected President appear to be so out of touch with the “mainstream”?

I think it is easy to understand from reading his biography, Dreams from My Father. A child whose father rejects him, never quite knows where he “fits” in the world at large. His life is full of choices: to ignore his inner heart, become a social barometer, change with the moods of the people around him…think Bill Clinton. He grows up with many emotional problems, possibly becoming an abuser or criminal.

Or, he, like Barack Obama learns to be quietly comfortable with himself, his intellectual pursuits, perhaps his family. He understands how to live “duty”, to serve others, but his heart remains covered and protected. I think that is why I remain prayerful and compassionate towards President Obama. I see in him a wounded child, tremendously bright and well-meaning but vulnerable.

John Meacham Executive editor, Random House observed on Morning Joe this morning, that like most people, the President operates on two speeds. President Obama operates primarily in the intellectual and analytical “gear”. His fundamental failure to establish an “enduring emotional connection” to the American people is a systemic failure.